The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 may not have originated in China but could have been thriving in a dormant stage in the environment for decades, according to researchers.
While a British epidemiologist found the virus prevalent in many parts of world before the pandemic, another study traced a part of the virus gene in existence for thousands of years.
Dr Jefferson believes the virus may be transmitted through the sewage system or shared toilet facilities
"I think the virus was already here, here meaning everywhere. We may be seeing a dormant virus that has been activated by environmental conditions," said Dr. Tom Jefferson, an honorary senior research fellow at the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM), University of Oxford.
The agents don't come or go anywhere, said Jefferson. "They are always here and something ignites them, maybe human density or environmental conditions."
He pointed out that the growing evidence had suggested that "the virus was elsewhere before it emerged in Asia," mentioning the increasing detection of the virus in sewage across the globe.
Another research found a part of the coronavirus gene developed around 60,000 years ago during the existence of Neanderthals, wrote a new study which is yet to be published. The virus developed in later years and could be found in the genes of people in many countries.
新冠病毒可能并非起源于中国
英国牛津大学循证医学中心（Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine）的学者汤姆•杰斐逊近日表示，他认为新冠病毒可能并非起源于中国，而是蛰伏在全世界许多地方。
The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 may not have originated in China but could have been thriving in a dormant stage in the environment for decades, according to researchers.
Dr Jefferson believes the virus may be transmitted through the sewage system or shared toilet facilities
